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Steve Reich *X 3 1936 — The Life You Give
Steve Reich, born Stephen Michael Reich, October 3, 1936, in New York, New York, U.S.A., is the composer who was one of the leading exponents of Minimalism, a style based on repetitions and combinations of simple motifs and harmonies. Reich was the son of an attorney and a singer-lyricist. He majored in philosophy at Cornell…
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The Magic Flute (Mozart) — premiered IX 30 1791
The Magic Flute — Singspiel in two acts Composer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Librettists: Emanuel Schikaneder Premiere: Freihaus-Theater auf der Wieden, Vienna, 1791. The Magic Flute In a mythical land between the sun and the moon. Three ladies in the service of the Queen of the Night save Prince Tamino from a serpent. When they leave…
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Miguel de Cervantes *IX 29 1547 — The Life You Give
Miguel de Cervantes, born Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, September 29?, 1547, in Alcalá de Henares, Spain, is the novelist, playwright, and poet, the creator of Don Quixote (1605, 1615) and the most important and celebrated figure in Spanish literature. His novel Don Quixote has been translated, in full or in part, into more than 60…
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The Coffeehouse — Coffee celebration of the Millennium
A Coffeehouse Chronology — a partial documentation of the coffeehouses opening throughout the world for the last 500 years. 1511 Mecca1530 Damascus1532 Cairo1554 Constantinople / Tahtakale / by Hakam and Shams1645 Venice1651 Livorno (Leghorn)1652 London1655 Oxford1659 Marseilles1663 Amsterdam1663 The Hague1664 Cambridge1665 Yarmouth1669 Bremen1670 Boston1672 Paris (a small bar where mostly Cognac was served)1673 Edinburgh1673 Glasgow1675…
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A side of coffee
Its leaves were anciently prepared as wine, its fruit as infusion, and the seeds have been roasted and brewed for centuries. Yet, I still like what it offers as spice out of the mortar. The sudden idea was to make a portrait out of a single coffee seed. It came as I prepared for my…
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While preparing for a fine rant on coffee
Throughout the world, the wondrous coffee is being celebrated this week. Different countries are honoring the plant, the fruit, the seed, the drink. As this is a product that has been in my mind and palate for some decades, I will be doing a fine rant on Clubhouse in its honor. And while preparing, I…
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Bryan Ferry *IX 26 1945 — The Life You Give
While fronting Roxy Music in the 1970s and early ’80s, Bryan Ferry devised a blueprint for art rock, and as a solo performer, he brilliantly updated the parameters of the pop songbook. Although Ferry’s solo career has included several excellent self-penned tracks, he’s best-known for his adventurous interpretations of songs from the rock and pop…













